Forgotten
by SyN
Summary: Max - Alive or Forgotten?
1. The Aftermath

Logan was sitting in his wheelchair next to the glass windows of his penthouse apartment. Zack, Syl, Krit and Lydecker were all reluctant to speak to Logan. Logan has just lost the most important person of his life. But so has everyone else. Less than 24 hours ago, Logan and Max were together. Max was alive and well. Then in that same 24 hours she was gunned down at manticore by a clone of herself. For all Logan, Lydecker, Zack, Syl, and Krit knew she was dead. Logan was silently letting tears drip down his face at the last moment he was alone with max. He acknowledged how silent it was, and it seemed forever to him. Finally the silence was broken.   
  
"How are we going to get Max back?" asked Logan. The hurt and anger in Logan's eyes was obvious. Logan slowly turned towards his companions as they all held their heads with their hands. "How do we even know if she is alive?" said Logan, unable to keep himself from slipping into a total nervous breakdown.   
  
"X5-452 was shot and killed. I'm sorry son, but there is nothing we could do to prevent it. X7-452 was just to strong, not to mention armed." replied Lydecker. Zack gave Lydecker a look, and Lydecker quickly replied "'Max' is KIA as far as we know. The only way she could be alive is if they got to her in time, but her memory would be wiped out. Even if they did try to resuscitate her, there is no hope. She had no pulse when we left."   
  
Zack quickly got into Lydeckers face. The thought that If it wasn't for Lydecker they wouldn't have had to step foot on that forsaken ground in the first place sent chills up his spine. Logan quickly said "Zack don't do it. This will not help get max back." A few moments passed. "It sure would make me feel better, let alone end allot of my troubles" snapped Zack. Zack thought of what max would say if she was there and let go of his grip on Lydeckers throat. Lydecker gasped for air as he slowly worked out what he was saying, "Lets all get some rest, think about our options, and talk tomorrow morning."   
  
Everyone agreed and went to their separate rooms. Logan felt like a needle in a haystack as he sat up late into the night trying to straighten out his thoughts, and choose his most effective options on getting information on Max. An uneasy feeling bestowed upon Logan as he started typing away at his computer. He felt as if someone was watching him. 


	2. Max And Zack?

The phones ringing nearly made Logan have a heart attack. He quickly scrambled to answer the telephone in hope it was Max. Logan picked up the telephone nearly screaming, he said "MAX!?". "Logan, are you ok? What's wrong with Max?" asked Bling on the other line. Logan's expression on his face showed dismay. "Max has been captured and taken back to Manticore. She was shot, and we don't know if she is alive" replied Logan. "Oh my god. Please tell me this is some sort of joke" Bling quickly said.   
  
Zack walked into the room with a look of hope on his face. Logan quickly blurted out "Its not Max, its my trainer." Zack looked displeased and walked out of the room. "Bling I'll call you later, I have to find out if Max is alive or not." Logan hung up the phone and went to his computer. He quickly logged on to the eyes only informant net, and started checking recent Manticore files.   
  
Lydecker walked into the room and hovered over Logan. Logan turned around slowly and asked "What?" Lydecker looked at Logan in an odd way as if they were still enemies. "There is something special about Max. Logan let a faint smile escape from inside of him, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. All of the kids from Manticore are special" Lydecker sighed at Logans comment as he continued to finish what he was saying. "I don't mean it like that. Max has a special bond with every kid ever produced from Manticore." Logan's curiosity grew as he urged Lydecker to go on. "When Max went through puberty, we went inside of her. We took out a couple dozen of her zygote's." Lydecker could tell that Logan didn't understand where he was going with this. "Technically Max is the mother of every X produced at Manticore. With the exception of the X5's to the X1's."   
  
Zack appeared from around the corner of Logan's office area. "Thats why Manticore wants her so much isn't it? Why didn't you tell her this before?" Lydecker tightened his jaw. "Thats not exactly something you tell someone that you are trying to capture. Maybe I should of told her after we tried to take down Manticore, but that wasn't an option now was it?" Zack nearly flew over to Lydecker, but quickly caught himself. "Maybe if you would of realized what you were doing was wrong before any of us were created, we wouldn't have to worry about this would we?"   
  
The phone rang as the tension was growing. Logan picked up the phone as Zack and Lydecker started going at it again. "Help me" said a faint voice. "You have to come and get me out of here. I cant survive in this hell that used to be my home." Logan started shaking as his adrenaline pumped. "Max!" Logan cried. Suddenly Zack and Lydecker were quiet. Logan instantly knew they were behind him when he heard Lydecker's heavy breathing. "Max, are you ok? Tell us where to meet you, and we will be there" said Logan anxious to get an answer. I'm at Manticore. I barely got out of my restraints to call you. I don't know how secure they have this place. Your only hope is to break in and find me. I will be at the medical ward. Please hurry." Logan heard grunts and metallic objects hitting the ground. He knew a struggle was going on. He heard Max let out a sigh of pain. "What's going on?" cried Logan. All he heard was the sound of a dialtone.   
  
Zack quickly ran into the rooms of Krit and Syl. All three of Lydeckers kids walked out. "What are you doing?" asked Logan. Zack was quickly gathering materials and he turned to Logan, "Were going to get max." Logan knew thats what zack would say. All he could think of was how well Zack and himself got along when max's life was in limbo. Everyone sat in silence for a moment.   
  
"I'm coming to. I know the perimeter better than you, and maybe I can reason with Madame X." Lydecker felt proud at his love for his kids. "No your not. Me, Krit, and Syl are going to get Max out, and it's her dicision on what to do with you. Krit, Syl, Come on."   
  
Zack swiftly walked over to Logan, and whispered something in his ear. Logan pulled out his 9mm. He pointed it at Lydecker. "Sit down, this is Zacks deal right now. If i want your help, I will ask you."   
  
Zack, Krit, and Syl walked out of the door. Logan walked over to the window of his apartment as he saw Zack mount Max's Ninja, and Krit and Syl get on a Nirvanna. Zack fired up the Ninja and rode down the street. Krit quickly followed with Syl on the back.   
  
Logan walked over to Lydecker. "Krit, and Syl dont talk much. Why?" Lydecker looked at Logan, and managed to get out "Krit, Syl, All of the X5 and up are sons and daughters of Max and Zack." Logan turned pale. The thought of Max being a mother without even knowing it pained him. He walked over to his computer and started working on hacking Manticore files again. Lydecker finally said "Theres more about my kids that you might want to know." Logan turned around wondering if he wanted to know or not.  
  



	3. The Escape

Max's eyes slowly opened. She wondered if she was still sleeping, still in the swift-moving dream in which she had been wrapped so long since the mission began. The dark world was rushing by, and the voices sang loudly in her ears. She could see nothing but the bright lights above her, and away to her right vast shadows against the wall were Manticore special ops. Sleepily she tried to remember the times and stages if he mission, but her memory was drowsy and uncertain.  
  
She had visions of what had happened and began to shake. But Brin had spoken soft words to her, and she had slept in a corner, tired but uneasy, dimly aware of comings and goings and of men talking and Brin giving orders. And then again lights, lights lighting the room into the night. This was the second, no, the third night since she had seen the faces of her companions. And with that hideous memory she woke fully, and shivered, and the noise of machines became filled with menacing voices. She stirred and spoke.  
  
"Where am I, Brin?" she asked wearily.  
  
"Manticore" Brin replied, sounding remorseful. "You are the center of attention to Manticore at the moment."  
  
Max's eyes gazed the room, and she asked almost in a whisper, "Why?"  
  
Brin let out a gasp for air, and max turned to see Brin crying. "You... You are the mother of the X5 up. And Zack is our father." Just then Madame X walks through the door seeing Brin emotional, she dismisses her, and pulls up a chair next to max. "So there you have it. Now you can see why you are so valuable to Manticore."  
  
Max sat up and looked at Madame X. Max was confused on how that was significant enough to keep her alive. "Why am I alive? Isn't that something you would want to keep from the X's?" Madame X let out a brief laugh. "Foolish child. Don't you see what that means? Sooner or later the X's will find out. It is encoded in their minds. One of the flaws we are currently unable to remove. At a certain maturity point they will come for you, to rescue you." Max was getting interested, as she quickly responded, "You have the X7. Aren't they powerful enough to take on the X5's?" Madame X knew she was telling her prisoner Classified Information, but she proceeded. "How would you feel if your mother was captured and experiments were performed on her daily? The love of a child towerds their mother will strengthen anyone. A man could kill any technology Manticore produced if their emotions got the best of them. Hence forth, the X5's will unite someday, and bring down Manticore. They will only stop at your acknowledgement."  
  
Max was emotionless on the outside, but on the inside she was screaming at the top of her lungs. "What if I refuse to stop them?" "You wont have that option. You are going to be reprogrammed, and you will listen to commands given to you. You will become what you were created for. To kill or be killed." said Madame X.  
  
Max had enough. She quickly sprang to her feet, and kicked the legs of the chair Madame X was sitting in. Madame X fell to the ground as Max was sprinting out the door of her room. Madame X called into a cb radio "X5-452 has breeched the Outside perimeter. Stop her, I want her alive and kicking." Max was nearly to the fence when she saw soldiers, and the X7 in front of her. She stopped in her tracks and scanned the area. There were 5 barracks behind her, a forest to the left and right of her, and Manticore soldiers and X7 in front of a river in front of her. Max quickly started running towards the woods to her left. An X7 that resembled Ben was right behind her. The X7 leaped towards max, tackling her. They both quickly leapt to their feet, and Max kicked the X7 in the jaw. The X7 wiped his lip and saw the blood. "Your good, but I'm better." He responded with a kick to Max's ribs. Max fell to the ground in pain. "Your not as tough as you look." replied Max as she swept the X7 off of his feet. He came crashing into the ground, and Max swiftly punched him in the face. "Your not as tough as you were made to be either." she said quickly.  
  
Max got up and started running. Running for what, she didn't know. She was certainly going to be caught, but she had to make a run for it. Bullets started flying her way. She dodged them as best as she could, but they seemed to keep flying inches from her skull.  
  
The X7 that resembles Ben was running unaware of what was under him. He stumbled over a body covered in blood. He got up and stared at the body. Moments passed when another X7 resembling Zack came across Ben and the body. Zack saw Ben staring at the body, and Zack rolled the body over revealing Max without a heartbeat, and multiple gunshot wounds. Zack called on his CB radio "Base, this is minion #1, over." "Minion #1, this is base, over" called Madame X's voice. "X5-452 has been shot and killed. Mission failure, over." "Damnit! Bring her back to base so we can prepare her burial." Replied Madame X.  
  
Logan had been monitoring the transmission the whole time. Logan became furious and flipped his computer desk. He sat there in the middle of broken glass, and bent metal from the contents on his desk. Mixed emotions were flowing through his head. 


End file.
